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Sunday, April 17, 2016

LOCAL FEATUREBy Dathan Kazsuk Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtownThe path to Raleigh’s Mount Trashmore, believe it or not, is actually quite a pleasant one. For those of you not familiar with the name Mount Trashmore, it’s what a lot of us around my neighborhood call the hill at the top of North Wake Landfill District Park.From the Abbotts Creek trail which is close by, the walk to the landfill park literally lies across a red bridge. From there it’s a nice hike to the top of the hill. On occasion, you might be lucky enough to view the wildlife that lives so close to home. A family of deer rummaging along Abbotts creek. Squirrels frolicking high above in the trees. Frogs bathing on a rock near the creek bedside. And if you have a keen eye, you might catch a glimpse of a red-tail hawk, barn owl or a trio of turkey vultures hovering overhead. On a warm summer afternoon, don’t be shocked to see a snake sunbathing on the asphalt path.Jen and I enjoy walks like these several times a week. Our last walk – a hike to the top of Mount Trashmore. At the base of the hill I reset MapMyRun on my iPhone so we could measure the distance from the base of the hill to the park benches on the top that overlook Falls River on one side, and on a clear day, the Raleigh skyline on the other. The climb is only 3/10th of a mile, but it’s a decent uphill hike.At the top, one could take a moment to view the rooftops of Falls River, the mound of dirt at Hanson Aggregates in Wake Forest, as well as the new construction going on at WakeMed North Healthplex at the corner of Falls of Neuse and Durant. It was a nice day the last time we hiked to the top of the hill, and one thing I regret is that we didn’t bring items for a picnic. The 60 degree weather would have gone perfectly with a broccoli kale salad and turkey brie wrap.Maybe next time …